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Move over Brad and Jen. Given the choice, Canadians would rather spend the holidays with their spouse even if it means foregoing a possible encounter under the mistletoe with either half of today’s hottest celebrity couple, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.

According to the recent Mosaik MasterCard Holiday Survey of Canadian credit card holders, issued by BMO Bank of Montreal, fewer than one per cent of respondents agreed that, if given the choice, they would most like to spend their holidays with Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston. Not surprisingly, home is still where the heart is; 86 per cent of respondents said they would most like to spend time with their family over the holiday season.

And distance is no obstacle, as many Canadians indicated they are happy to travel in order to be with family. The Mosaik MasterCard Holiday Survey showed that 56 per cent of those who are planning a trip this holiday season are doing so to visit their families; 11 per cent are making a trip to see friends and 23 per cent of holiday travellers are planning to get away on a vacation.

However, it seems the ties that bind can also be broken, if the price is right. Of the respondents that would change their plans if they had enough travel rewards for a holiday trip, four times as many said they would go on a vacation rather than use the travel rewards to visit the in-laws.

There might be many more Canadians going on vacation this holiday season if they knew how little they actually had to spend to take that trip. When asked how much they thought they would need to spend on a credit card to earn enough rewards points to fly from Toronto to Vancouver, one in three respondents didn’t know.

“If you are serious about traveling on rewards, it pays to know as much as possible about your rewards program,” said Mike Kitchen, Vice President, Mosaik MasterCard. “People are often surprised how fast they can earn a flight once they know how to optimize their credit card spending to maximize the amount of rewards they can earn.”

The Mosaik MasterCard Holiday Survey also found that more than one in five chose their credit card because they liked the rewards program. Canadians also respond to low interest rates, with more than one in five making that a reason for picking their plastic of choice.

“It is great to see that Canadians are starting to look at features such as rewards and interest rates when choosing their credit cards, because taking the time to understand all the options will help you select a card that suits you best,” Kitchen added.

Kitchen offered the following tips:

Take the time to learn about your program and make sure you know how to get the most for each dollar you spend. For example, find out:

1. How much you will have to spend on your card to fly (e.g., Toronto to Vancouver) – make sure to get the facts for both “off season” and during the all important “holiday season”, including any restrictions, such as blackout periods, that might limit your ability to book your trip for the holidays:

• For example, earlier this year, Mosaik MasterCard introduced the Gold WestJet 1/$15 AIR MILES Reward Option that allows cardholders to fly WestJet anywhere in Canada for up to 1,600 AIR MILES compared to the regular 4,400 and with no travel blackout periods.

2. Does your program let you “double dip” to collect rewards even faster?

• For example, cardholders can collect reward miles by simply using their Mosaik MasterCard, but can fly even sooner if they “double dip” when they use their Mosaik MasterCard to shop at other AIR MILES sponsors. Cardholders who regularly buy gas and groceries from participating AIR MILES sponsors and spend $1,200 a month, can earn a WestJet flight anywhere in Canada in just one year.

3. Don’t forget to look at non-travel-related benefits.

• With some cards, these can really add up. For example, a Mosaik MasterCard with the Gold WestJet 1/$15 AIR MILES Reward Option is the only credit card in Canada to provide everyday banking benefits; customers receive a credit each year (up to $70 – or $105 for Business Banking Customers) towards the BMO Bank of Montreal Banking Plan of their choice, which for some customers will translate into free banking.

4. A good rewards card can make a lot of sense for many consumers, but it’s also important to understand the card’s other features.

• For example, Mosaik MasterCard offers a low interest rate option (as low as 12.9% for retail purchases and 7.9% for cash advances and balance transfers).

The Mosaik MasterCard Holiday Survey was conducted by Synovate from October 27 to October 31, 2004. Synovate’s TeleNation survey consists of 1,001 randomly-targeted interviews, half male and half female. Findings are accurate to within plus or minus 3.2 per cent, ninety-five times out of one hundred.

About Mosaik MasterCard

Mosaik MasterCard, offered exclusively from BMO Bank of Montreal, allows customers to build their own customized cards by choosing and paying for only the rewards, features and interest rate plan they want. Customers can also re-build their cards by changing the features as their needs change without having to replace the card or apply for a new one. BMO introduced its newest option, the Mosaik MasterCard Gold WestJet 1/$15 AIR MILES Reward Option in May 2004.

Unlike other credit cards that offer a limited selection of pre-bundled options, Mosaik MasterCard lets cardholders choose from a variety of individual features such as the AIR MILES Reward Program or a CashBack Reward Program, Travel Protection, Travel Medical, Concierge Service and either a No Fee or Low Interest Rate Plan.

Mosaik MasterCard card is accepted at more than 30 million locations worldwide. For more information, visit bmo.com/mosaik.

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